Post-Game Talk: Bergevin Press Conference at 3:30

[Cole Caulifield]

Serious question have you ever seen Gilbert play? He's a good dman, and with emelin having a full training camp and playing on his natural side, that d pairing will be pretty good.

They might not even play together.

I think

Emelin-Subban
Markov-Gilbert

is a lot more likely.

Could be wrong though.

 

[Number 57]

Chara is slowing down every step of the way and Krug/Hamilton aren't ready to fill in that void at all.

Bruins aren't getting better.

Losing Iginla without a viable replacement will hurt. Players are likely to tune out at the first opportunity to Julien's boring message. Lucic/Marchand are going into full meltdown mode.

Maybe the bruins have one good year left.

Hamilton is great and had a very solid 2nd half of the season and playoffs. If he plays with Chara that's a solid 1st pairing. Seidenberg-Boychuk-Krug is fine as well.

The Bruins are still tops in the division and by all accounts Tampa is in front of us as well. Their forward depth is incredible and they have upgraded their D.

Montreal is fine and could post another 100 pts season but we will be hard pressed to finish ahead of the 3rd position. I am not scared of the other teams right now though, but free agency is not over.

 

[habscup*]

Salary is being shed guys, notice our highest paid forward is Plekanec at 5 mill, then Pac at 4.5, then PA at 4.0, Desharnais 3.5, Bourque 3.3, and then Prust 2.5, Moen 1.8 and then nobody more than 1 mill. Our highest dmen will obviously be Markov and Subban, but after that there's only Emelin on a bad contract at 4 million, then GIlbert 2.8 and then nobody above 1.7...

Nice! No more bad contracts

 

[GoodKiwi]

Offensively yea, as it stands, we still lack scorers. Defensively though, we improved by a lot more imo. Wouldn't call us favorites though, I think East is again wide open.

I agree.

I think the team feels more "cohesive" going into the next season, but I'd be hard-pressed calling us improved. Not sold on our ability to score with the forwards we have and that potential second pairing of Emelin-Gilbert has a lot to prove.

I actually think Tampa improved quite a bit as well as Pittsburgh, while Boston took somewhat of a step back.

But the East should be wide open once again.

 

[Kriss E]

They might not even play together.

I think

Emelin-Subban
Markov-Gilbert

is a lot more likely.

Could be wrong though.

I don't think they'll put Emelin on top pairing with PK.
I really think Markov-PK should be a pairing. They were awesome together this year.
In any event, hearing Bergevin say Emelin needs to go back to left and that balancing our defense was recognized is very good.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

We are really starting to see the sort of team Bergevin wants to build, instead of the team he was left with.

 

[Andy]

We are really starting to see the sort of team Bergevin wants to build, instead of the team he was left with.

Which is? The core is very much the same, he just keeps switching the depth players.

 

[Kriss E]

I agree.

I think the team feels more "cohesive" going into the next season, but I'd be hard-pressed calling us improved. Not sold on our ability to score with the forwards we have and that potential second pairing of Emelin-Gilbert has a lot to prove.

I actually think Tampa improved quite a bit as well as Pittsburgh, while Boston took somewhat of a step back.

But the East should be wide open once again.

Yes TB improved their defense for sure. They will likely have Drouin join their club next year. They can be a dangerous team next year if their youngsters step up.
Pittsburgh got a slight improvement with Ehrhoff over Niskanen, but the Neal trade is bad imo.

Anyways, rosters are not yet set in stone, so we'll see when the season start, but I feel East is wide open again.

 

[Cole Caulifield]

Montreal is fine and could post another 100 pts season but we will be hard pressed to finish ahead of the 3rd position. I am not scared of the other teams right now though, but free agency is not over.

With Price, Subban, Pacioretty, and all other young players maturing I believe that we're ready to do better than last year. Especially with these moves that were done in the last 2 days. We'll get a lot more than 100 pts. I think the bruins will not be as good. We will see.

 

[Andy]

Dan Rosen ‏@drosennhl 1m
Jim Nill announces on conference call the Stars signed Patrick Eaves to a 1-yr contract.

 

[Kriss E]

We are really starting to see the sort of team Bergevin wants to build, instead of the team he was left with.

Seems he wants a puck moving one, but the coach better keep up.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

Which is? The core is very much the same, he just keeps switching the depth players.

Yhea. We kept the same core players of Gorges, Gionta, Gomez, Cole...

 

[Cole Caulifield]

I don't think they'll put Emelin on top pairing with PK.
I really think Markov-PK should be a pairing. They were awesome together this year.
In any event, hearing Bergevin say Emelin needs to go back to left and that balancing our defense was recognized is very good.

agreed.

I wouldn't mind Markov-PK. My only problem with that is I'd like to reduce Markov's minutes.

 

[Andy]

With Price, Subban, Pacioretty, and all other young players maturing I believe that we're ready to do better than last year. Especially with these moves that were done in the last 2 days. We'll get a lot more than 100 pts. I think the bruins will not be as good. We will see.

Bruins still have quite a bit of good youth. Hamilton, Krug, Bartkowski, Smith are all a year older. Boston will get some internal improvement as well. Losing Iginla's 30 goals will hurt and Chara is older, but they are still very much the same club.

 

[Habs Icing]

Although for the most part I liked what MB has done, we're still missing a #1 right winger PAP is not the answer and we still have to see what kind of leadership we have with Gionta, Gorges & Briere gone.

 

[CupInSIX]

Pretty much what I was thinking. The man probably has trouble remembering what a bed and pillow look like.

doubt it judging by his bed head

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Which is? The core is very much the same, he just keeps switching the depth players.

...our core is our young guys and they've kept improving the last couple years...the great thing is Bergevin realizes this and understands that he has to play the kids for them to continue to get better...imo, we've had a fantastic day and I'm overjoyed that we're finally ready to turn the wheel over to our young core...

 

[MarkovsKnee]

I like what MB did today. Is it enough? Right now, I'd still put us 3rd behind Boston & T.B. Yzerman has improved Tampa's D and their forward depth is solid. Boston is Boston.

Because of the new divisional set-up, Habs will be playing T.B and Boston in the playoffs again unless we're a wild card team.

I don't see either Detroit or Toronto having improved enough to pass us.

I think the D pairings might be:

Markov-Subban
Emelin-Gilbert
Beau-Weaver

Tinner/Nygren

 

[Andy]

Yhea. We kept the same core players of Gorges, Gionta, Gomez, Cole...

Cole, Gionta and Gomez were never part of the core.

The core has always consisted of Price, Subban, Pacioretty, Plekanec and Markov. In recent years Gallagher and Galchenyuk have been added to that core. You can make the case for Emelin, Eller and DD also being part of that core as well, but they are still gauthier/gainey remnants (I wouldn't include those guys on the core). Some would argue Gorges was part of that core as well.

Gilbert, Malholtra, Weise, Weaver, Parenteau, Prust...these are all depth guys. They're excellent depth, but they are not core players.

 

[Cole Caulifield]

Bruins still have quite a bit of good youth. Hamilton, Krug, Bartkowski, Smith are all a year older. Boston will get some internal improvement as well. Losing Iginla's 30 goals will hurt and Chara is older, but they are still very much the same club.

We will see. I think players are starting to tune out Julien's message and their key players are slowing down. I just think that the bruins are moving in our direction (down) and we're moving in theirs (up). That's really all I'm saying.

 

[VirginiaMtlExpat]

It's a stretch to even assume all of the above might take place next season - that's what I meant.

Why did you put it so insultingly the first time, then? Just wondering.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

Cole, Gionta and Gomez were never part of the core.

The core has always consisted of Price, Subban, Pacioretty, Plekanec and Markov. In recent years Gallagher and Galchenyuk have been added to that core. You can make the case for Emelin, Eller and DD also being part of that core as well, but they are still gauthier/gainey remnants. Some would argue Gorges was part of that core as well.

Gilbert, Malholtra, Weise, Weaver, Parenteau, Prust...these are all depth guys. They're excellent depth, but they are not core players.

Cole, Gionta and Gomez were never part of our core?

They were top-6 forwards signed for relatively long-term contracts. Gionta was our freakin' Captain, and you say he was not part of our core?

 

[Andy]

Cole, Gionta and Gomez were never part of our core?

They were top-6 forwards signed for relatively long-term contracts. Gionta was our freakin' Captain, and you say he was not part of our core?

Not at all. Core guys are guys you don't want to move and constitute the foundation of your team. Gionta was always a complimentary piece.

 

[PricePkPatch*]

Not at all. Core guys are guys you don't want to move and constitute the foundation of your team. Gionta was always a complimentary piece.

Cole, Gionta and Gomez were (sadly) the foundation of our team for a while.

 

[BigDaddyLurch]

Not at all. Core guys are guys you don't want to move and constitute the foundation of your team. Gionta was always a complimentary piece.

...no, he wasn't...Gionta was brought in as a core player and remained as such until the moment he went UFA...